Williams deciding how to use Mayo

Marquette has more offense now with guard Todd Mayo's return from academic ineligibility, but how much he plays Saturday against LSU in his first game of the season is anyone's guess.

"I think it's hard to predict," coach Buzz Williams said after practice Friday. "I'd like to play him, yes. I'd like to get him some reps, even if it's limited, so he can get back in a groove. He needs to get in a groove, but everyone on our team needs to get back into a groove when he's in the game."

The Golden Eagles are struggling with the three-point shot and are coming off a two-point loss at UW-Green Bay in which they scored just 47 and could've used Mayo on the perimeter.

Williams, though, wanted to meet with Mayo's family Thursday to explain what the sophomore is up against academically if he is to remain enrolled at Marquette.

As for the extracurricular activity, the 7-3 Golden Eagles are happy to have back a guy who can score off the bench.

"He can make a shot and he is offensive-minded, but he is also a really good defender," Williams said. "He does give us another athlete. We have been a guard short. He does give us some depth. How it will affect our rotation specific to (Saturday), I don't know. LSU is extremely athletic, as athletic as any team we've played up until this point.

"How it all plays out, I don't know. But we're glad that he's back and we think he gives us another dimension for sure."

Marquette declined a request to make Mayo available for comment after practice, but he seemed to get through the workout while being reintroduced to the rotation after missing the first 10 games.

"There are parts of what we do that Todd already knows," Williams said. "Obviously, he was able participate in our first 20-something practices and he was here for the preseason.

"Our older guys, I don't think there will be much of an issue because they played with him last year. When he's in the game we'll run things he understands. I don't know if he's game-ready for some of our newer stuff, but our old stuff he's familiar with from last year. "

As a freshman, Mayo started two games and averaged 7.9 points in 21.1 minutes. He shot 33% from three-point range and should provide the perimeter touch that the Golden Eagles have been missing.

Their two-point field-goal percentage is among the top 10 in the nation, which means they are getting plenty of paint touches. But they didn't attack the basket enough and only got four points from the free-throw line and missed 14 three-pointers against the zone defense UWGB played the entire game.

"I like our assist percentage," Williams said. "We are rebounding 40% of our missed shots, which is as high as it's ever been. We need to make free throws, but we need to take more free throws. It's really hard within how we play when you only get four points from the free-throw line. We need to get up in the teens."

LSU is 7-1 against a weak non-conference schedule. Its loss came eight days ago at Boise State. First-year coach Johnny Jones was at Memphis for one season and coached North Texas while Williams was at New Orleans.

"They pose a lot of issues for us with their size and athleticism," Williams said. "I don't know if you can necessarily judge their schedule because it was in place before Johnny got there. I don't want to blame the schedule on him. I think that they're really talented."

SATURDAY

LSU at Marquette

When: 1 p.m.

TV: ESPNU

Radio: AM-540

About Michael Hunt

Michael Hunt is a former sports columnist and reporter for the Journal Sentinel.